Tag: mixology

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, February 2019, Let’s Talk about Mixology

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Post date February 1, 2019
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Let’s Talk about Mixology, Part 41

by Amer A. Vargas

Low-calorific Cocktails

After a long Christmas and Holiday season filled with several family meals (normally quite heavy ones!), it is time for the New Year Resolutions! And one of the most common ones is losing those extra pounds or kilograms one has acquired during the festivities.

Can we enjoy a nice cocktail and not break our weight-loss resolution? Yes! Some cocktails have even less calories than a glass of wine.

Of course, to accomplish our objective, we must avoid adding sugar, cordials, or even fruit to cocktails, and switch to soda water, which is non-calorific.

Then, choose your favorite base spirit but normally, whisky and vodka are the distilled alcohols with lower calorie counts.

There you go! Fill a lowball glass with rocks (ice), add a shot of either whisky or vodka, and add soda water to taste. And in the case of vodka, you can decorate the drink with a lemon slice.

Cheers!

Mr. Vargas is the Institute’s President—feel free to contact him via email, AmerVargas @ modernbutlers.com

Tags cocktail, Mama Juana, mixology

Amer A. Vargas Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, January 2019, Let’s Talk about Mixology

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Post date January 1, 2019
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Let’s Talk about Mixology, Part 40

by Amer A. Vargas

The Bob Marley

We start the new year paying homage to another country that I visited recently for the first-time—Jamaica, home to many, including the fastest athlete in the world, Usain Bolt, and to another individual, who popularized Jamaica’s modern music, reggae, across the rest of the world.

An important milestone was achieved for this music and Jamaica when “Reggae music from Jamaica” was been included in the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in November 2018.

So, plenty of reasons for this homage: for Jamaica, for reggae and for Bob Marley. And this is the Bob Marley cocktail, that we could broadly describe as a triple daiquiri composed of the colors of the Rastafarian flag: red, yellow and green (from bottom to top).

This is a frozen cocktail (meaning, each layer is blended in the mixer with ice), then poured in the glass, in this case, a Collins or highball.

Let’s go layer by layer. The first one would be a strawberry (Jamaican) daiquiri: 5 mid-size strawberries, a bit of lime juice, 1 oz/2.5 cl Jamaican rum. Pour into 1/3rd of the glass.

The second layer, the mango daiquiri, is the same except it uses a medium-sized mango instead of strawberries for the middle 1/3rd of the glass. Some daiquiri will remain in the blender, so add a dash or two of blue Curacao, blend again and top up the glass foe the green 1/3rd

Serve with a straw and any additional colorful decoration to enhance the presentation.

Thanks to bar supervisor, Tina Watson, from Azul Sensatori Negril in Jamaica for the recommendation and the recipe. Cheers and Happy New Year!

Mr. Vargas is the Institute’s President—feel free to contact him via email, AmerVargas @ modernbutlers.com

Tags cocktail, Mama Juana, mixology

Amer A. Vargas Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, December 2018, Let’s Talk about Mixology

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Post date December 1, 2018
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Let’s Talk about Mixology, Part 39

by Amer A. Vargas

Dominican Republic’s Mama Juana

Greetings from the Shaken…Not Stirred, a James Bond-themed hall bar at the Nickelodeon & Sensatori Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. As a first-timer in this beautiful place, this writer would like to render homage to the host country by introducing to the rest of the world the particular drink every “good Dominican” enjoys in their own home whenever entertaining visitors and friends. We are talking, of course, about the Mama Juana, a sort of home-brewed port wine, as they describe it — although the ingredients, as we are about to see, are not necessarily the same.

A Mama Juana shot photographed at the Stirred… Not Shaken bar at Sensatori Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

The most particular aspect of Mama Juana is that it is brewed using the bark from some local trees plus some herbs. Which ones?…well, they keep that secret to themselves!
The common Mama Juana drinker would find an empty bottle and stuff the required herbs and tree barks in it. He/she may even add some raisins to make the final brew a bit sweeter. Then he would fill the bottle with red wine and let it brew for about a week, discarding the wine after that. When the tree bark and herbs are fully saturated with the wine, he would pour in some honey (about 1/10th of the capacity of the bottle), top up the bottle with aged Dominican Rum (Brugal is the most popular choice)…and voilà, the Mama Juana is ready!

Some people like to switch out the rum for whisky. In any case, the concoction is served in a shot glass and taken under the “down in one” principle. Experienced drinkers suggest not taking more than two shots at a time and these are normally enjoyed as an opener to something else, like beer or lighter cocktails; any number over two would, obviously, lead to short-term happiness but also, most certainly, to some following-morning distress…

Drink responsibly and enjoy the upcoming Holiday Season! Cheers!

Mr. Vargas is the Institute’s President—feel free to contact him via email, AmerVargas @ modernbutlers.com

Tags cocktail, mixology, Old fashioned

Amer A. Vargas Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, November 2018, Let’s Talk about Mixology

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Post date November 1, 2018
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Let’s Talk about Mixology, Part 38

by Amer A. Vargas

The Old-Fashioned Old Fashioned

In this issue of the MBJ, we revisit old times and an old fashioned and classic cocktail— the Old Fashioned itself.

The recipe for this cocktail has changed since its creation more than a couple of centuries ago, but nowadays it is well established. As you are about to find out, it is very simple and quick to prepare!

The ingredients you need for this mix are: 2 oz. (6 cl.) of rye or bourbon whiskey, 3 dashes of Angostura bitters, 1 splash of club soda or still water, 1 refined sugar cube (or half a teaspoon), and ice cubes.

Naturally, the glass we use for this cocktail is an old fashioned cocktail glass (aka the lowball). Put the sugar in the glass and wet it with the three dashes of Angostura bitters and a splash of club soda or water. Stir a few seconds and crush a little bit of the sugar with a wooden muddler. Rotate the glass so the mix lines the inside wall of the glass. Next, add a few ice cubes and pour the rye whiskey or bourbon according to the drinker’s preference. Stir the whole mix and finish by decorating with an orange slice or an orange-peel twist.

For those who like a little caramel flavor, changing the refined white sugar to brown or demerara sugar will do the trick.

To the old times, and the great new times to come, cheers!

Mr. Vargas is the Institute’s President—feel free to contact him via email, AmerVargas @ modernbutlers.com

Tags cocktail, mixology, Old fashioned

Amer A. Vargas Mixology Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, October 2018, Let’s Talk about Mixology

Post author By Amer Vargas
Post date October 1, 2018
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Let’s Talk about Mixology, Part 37

by Amer A. Vargas

Thyme Will Tell

Autumn is here, and summer is gone. The happiness of warm summer days filled with sunlight gives way to the relaxed moods of grey skies and breezes caressing the tree leaves. Will this season be as good as the recently departed summer? Thyme Will Tell.
Sorry for the wordplay… this writer couldn’t help it!
In any case, in this month’s edition, we devote our mixology article to an old and not-so-famous cocktail that goes along very well with quiet moods and tranquil environments: the Thyme Will Tell Sour, as presented by our friends from Difford’s Guide for Discerning Drinkers.
The particularity of this cocktail is centered on the herb thyme as one of its key ingredients, which gives the mix a very distinct and aromatic character. To prepare it, we need 1 fresh sprig of thyme (and a second one to use as garnish), 60 ml/2 oz of Bourbon whiskey, 15 ml/½ oz of maple syrup and 5 ml/½ of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
And this is how it’s done: strip the thyme leaves off the stem and muddle them on the bottom of the cocktail shaker. Then fill the shaker with ice, pour in the rest of the ingredients and shake firmly for a few seconds. Next, fill a lowball or old-fashioned glass with ice and pour in the mix, decorating with a twist of lemon zest and a thyme sprig.
This autumn is going to be great, and “thyme” will confirm it. For a great autumn start, cheers!

Mr. Vargas is the Institute’s President—feel free to contact him via email, AmerVargas @ modernbutlers.com

Tags cocktail, mixology

Amer A. Vargas Mixology Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, September 2018, Let’s Talk about Mixology

Post author By Amer Vargas
Post date September 1, 2018
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Let’s Talk about Mixology, Part 36

Bloody mary

by Amer A. Vargas

On this occasion, we return to classic cocktails to learn a bit more about one of the most famous cocktails worldwide: the Bloody Mary.

This cocktail uses a variety of ingredients and one can add others to offer a more personal and interesting twist.

The basic Bloody Mary requires: 4,5 cl (1,5 oz) of vodka, 9 cl (3 oz) of tomato juice, 1,5 cl (0,5 oz) of lemon juice, 3 dashes of Worcestershire or English sauce, 3 dashes of Tabasco sauce and a pinch of salt and black pepper.

The classic way to prepare this cocktail is in a mixer glass (rather than a cocktail shaker). Fill the mixer glass with ice cubes and add all the ingredients, stirring for a few seconds until condensation on the exterior of the glass confirms the whole mix is really cold.

Decorate the rim of a Collins glass by dipping it in lemon juice then placing it on coarse salt or salt flakes, mixed with some ground black pepper for a more appealing result. Then, fill ¾ of the glass with ice cubes and pour the mix.

This cocktail is commonly decorated with a celery stick, a cucumber or lime or lemon slice or even a cocktail shrimp or a pickle spear.

And for those particular personal twists we mentioned above, try adding freshly grated horseradish, some curry powder or even a little bit of wasabi…wow! Enjoy!

Mr. Vargas is the Institute’s President—feel free to contact him via email, AmerVargas @ modernbutlers.com

Tags cocktail, mixology

Amer A. Vargas Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, August 2018, Let’s Talk about Mixology

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Post date August 1, 2018
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Let’s Talk about Mixolog, Part 35

Cabo Cocktail

by Amer A. Vargas

On this occasion, a butler wrote in from Los Cabos, which seemed a good reason to introduce you to a refreshing and easy-to-drink cocktail, created by the people of mixthatdrink.com, and which they called Cabo, in honor of this region of Mexico. As with many cocktails of Mexican origin, the Cabo is based on this beautiful country’s main spirit: Tequila.

Preparation is very simple,: 1.5 oz/ 4.5 cl of tequila is mixed with just two other ingredients: ¼ oz/ 0.75 cl of lime juice and 3 oz/ 9 cl of pineapple juice. Mix the ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass, decorating the rim with a pineapple wedge.

You can make the presentation more appealing by rimming the glass with red sugar (sugar+grenadine syrup, for example), and/or by adding a couple of spearmint leaves to the pineapple wedge.

Tasty. Sweet. Refreshing… Cheers!

Mr. Vargas is the Institute’s President—feel free to contact him via email, AmerVargas @ modernbutlers.com

Tags Cabo, cocktail, mixology

Amer A. Vargas Mixology Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, July 2018, Let’s Talk about Mixology

Post author By Amer Vargas
Post date July 2, 2018
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Let’s Talk about Mixology, Part 34

by Amer A. Vargas

BLACK RUSSIAN

As an homage to the football/soccer World Cup taking place this month in Russia, in this article we present the Black Russian. The name of the cocktail summarizes the two characteristics of the mix: Black for the final color of the concoction and Russian for the two ingredients that make up the cocktail. In fact, “Black” refers to the color provided by the coffee liqueur (such as Kahlúa) included in this drink, and “Russian” to the use of the most famous spirit from Russia: vodka.

Preparation of this cocktail is as easy as putting some ice cubes in a lowball, then pouring in some vodka and finishing off with some coffee liqueur in a 2:1 proportion. The Black Russian doesn’t call for a garnish or decoration, but some variations of the cocktail, like the Red Russian (which uses cherry liqueur or strawberry schnapps instead of coffee liqueur) or the Green Russian (which uses peppermint instead of coffee liqueur) benefit from the addition of red fruits or spearmint leaves respectively, to enhance the final presentation.

As a trivia, and even though this article is a little homage to the World Cup host country, the Black Russian is known to have been created not in Russia, but a few countries away, in Portugal, towards the end of the 1940s.

In any case, sip and enjoy!

Mr. Vargas is the Institute’s President—feel free to contact him via email, AmerVargas @ modernbutlers.com

Tags cocktail, mixology

Amer A. Vargas Mixology Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, June 2018, Let’s Talk about Mixology

Post author By Amer Vargas
Post date June 1, 2018
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Let’s Talk about Mixology, Part 33

by Amer A. Vargas

Royal Mojito

Drawing again from this writer’s recent visit to Cuba, on this occasion we will prepare another delicious cocktail based on the Cuban Mojito. But in this instance we will add some French and Venezuelan touches, using ingredients from those countries.

Yes, we are making a Royal Mojito, which is a variant of the original Mojito: for this one, we will replace the Cuban rum with Santa Teresa Venezuelan rum and the soda with a good French Brut Champagne. In addition to those ingredients, we will also need demerara or brown sugar, 2 sprigs of spearmint (or 8-10 spearmint leaves), a lime, the juice of a lime, and some crushed ice.

This cocktail is prepared in the lowball or Collins glass it will be presented in.

We start by putting in 2 teaspoons of brown sugar, then adding the lime after cutting it into 4 segments, then adding the spearmint. With a pestle, gently press the spearmint against the lime segments, the sugar and against the walls of the glass, avoiding as much as possible breaking the leaves (they are not intended to be absorbed, but rather will stay in the glass throughout the enjoyment of the cocktail); the objective is to extract the spearmint oils and essences and so impregnate the drink and provide a fresher aroma. When done, top up the glass with crushed ice, pour in 45 ml/1.5 oz of Santa Teresa Rum and the lime juice, and finish by adding Brut Champagne to the rim of the glass.

Garnish with a slice or wedge of lime, a little spearmint sprig, and present with a stirrer stick and/or a straw.

Sweet and extra refreshing… Enjoy!

Mr. Vargas is the Institute’s President—feel free to contact him via email, AmerVargas @ modernbutlers.com

Tags cocktail, mixology, Royal Mojito

Amer A. Vargas Mixology Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal, May 2018, Let’s Talk about Mixology

Post author By Amer Vargas
Post date May 1, 2018
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Let’s Talk about Mixology, Part 32

by Amer A. Vargas

Havano cocktail

For those who like to try new things, you might want to prepare this eye-catching and wonderful cocktail.

During my recent visit to Varadero, Cuba, Paradisus Varadero’s Resident Manager Carlos Martínez-Almoyna shared the following video and suggested we make it known in the MBJ:

Elio, barman at Paradisus Antilles, prepares a Havano cocktail, a drink that mixes the best of Cuba when it comes to pleasing the senses: Cigars and Rum.

Summarizing the video, this is how it is created.

The following recipe serves 4.

One cigar serves 4-6 (or more, depending on length). Cut the cigar in chunks of about one inch and open/unravel the tobacco so that it is easy to light. Hold the tobacco with a set of tongs and light it. Then place above it, upside down, a lowball glass so that it is impregnated with the tobacco smoke.

Add 3 dashes of Angostura bitters into a shaker, two lemon and two lime twists (after spritzing their citric essential oils), and 1oz of thin honey. Muddle gently with a pestle and then add 4oz of 7-year old Cuban rum. Next add some ice cubes and stir. Strain into the smoke-coated glass and rim with a lemon twist, adding it as garnish.

Enjoy mi amol!

Mr. Vargas is the Institute’s President—feel free to contact him via email, AmerVargas @ modernbutlers.com

Tags cocktail, Havano Cocktail, mixology